Adrian Peterson & Fatherhood

 

Sioux Falls (my home town) splashed into the national news earlier this month when NFL star Adrian Peterson attended the funeral of his 2 year-old son. His son was killed in an apparent child abuse case. But wait a minute, why was his son in Sioux Falls? Because the boy lived with his mom who is one of 7 women reported to have birthed an Adrian-Peterson child.

Though this event has generated much dispute about Peterson’s character, that discussion should be secondary to a discussion about fatherhood in 21^st century America. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Peterson’s dead son was one of 24 million children in America---one out of three---who live apart from their biological fathers. This absence is triple the rate from 1960 and has an alarming impact on these children. Comparing these children to those having an in-home father, they are:

 

·         more likely to be poor—four times more likely!

·         more likely to die in infancy—nearly twice as likely

·         more likely to engage in delinquent behavior

·         more prone to early sexual activity

·         more often abused—often at the hands of a boyfriend!

·         more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol

·         more often obese

·         more academically challenged

·         more often neglected

In contrast, kids with an in-home dad feel more secure, are more willing to take risks, and they experience more positive emotional health.

There is nothing automatic about the benefits of an in-home dad. (And it doesn’t mean that father substitutes or separated fathers are worthless.) But being in the home lays a solid foundation to build on and become the male model and guide that children desperately need.